A judge declared a mistrial Saturday in Bill Cosby‘s sex assault trial after jurors failed to reach a verdict on the sixth day of deliberations.
The jury of seven men and five women deadlocked after about 52 hours of deliberations that began June 12. It first announced they were deadlocked Thursday.
“This jury is hopelessly deadlocked,” Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill said after questioning each juror in turn about the impasse, adding, “This is not a victory for anyone.
This is the justice system, it does not matter what the justice is.”
Cosby, 79, faced up to 30 years in prison on three charges of aggravated indecent assault.
He was accused of drugging and molesting former Temple University basketball manager Andrea Constand at his home in 2004.
Prosecutors quickly said they will retry Cosby, prompting gasps from the courtroom.
Cosby faced up to 30 years – or 10 years on each count – if convicted.
“I don’t know what the commonwealth’s reaction will be. But remember, if you speak up, you could be chilling the justice system,” O’Neill cautioned the jurors, warning them not to speak publicly about their deliberations.
The jurors, chosen from Allegheny County, have been sequestered for the duration of the trial in Montgomery County, nearly 300 miles away.
Cosby sat stone-faced as the jury was brought back into the courtroom Saturday, and looked down, scowling as O’Neill declared a mistrial in the case, while Constand held her head high.
Before declaring the mistrial, O’Neill had questioned each of the jurors in turn, asking, “Do you agree that there is a hopeless deadlock that cannot be resolved by further deliberations?”
Each answered yes.
He later praised their efforts, telling them,”You should be proud of the job you have performed.”
The bombshell determination comes after the jury informed O’Neill Thursday they were deadlocked on all three counts of aggravated indecent assault.
The various counts pertain to Cosby “administering the intoxicant,” Constand’s unconscious state, and her “lack of consent.”
The mistrial follows a whirlwind six-day trial, in which Constand took the stand and, in graphic detail, described the night in question. The retrial could take place within 120 days, but that time frame could be extended, according to the DA’s office.
Source: Page Six